How To Make Unit Wise Notes For CSIR NET Life Science Exam

How To Make CSIR NET Life Science Exam Notes Unit Wise

Before preparing for any examination it is highly recommended to have a clear idea regarding  – the scope of the examination, Up to what extent qualifying the examination can contribute towards your higher academic achievements and the eligibility. Once you find yourself eligible, it is important to list out the important dates, application procedure, the pattern of examination and syllabus. If you are all set for writing the CSIR NET Exam first thing you have to do is to analyze the syllabus. List out a comparative analysis of your depth of knowledge from your educational background with the syllabus content of the concerned. Accordingly, start the preparation.

Unless you have a proper preparation strategy, it is really difficult to crack the CSIR NET Exam, in fact, any Exam. As per statistics almost all the students who qualify the CSIR NET Exam implement the Notes making strategy, wherein they prepare their own notes for a better understanding of the subject.

Few Advantages of making notes while preparing for CSIR NET Life Science competitive exam are:

• Helps you create a condensed record of the topics rather than referring to those lengthy books.
• Helps you organize important topics in one place.
• One can design their notes keeping in mind the difficult topics and easier ones so that you can refer to them accordingly.
• Use of Diagrammatic representations while making notes either in the form of flow chart, bullets or boxes helps you memorize topics much effectively.
• Very much beneficial and easy for last minute revisions

How to Prepare Notes For CSIR NET Exam – Unit Wise

The entire syllabus of CSIR NET Exam includes 13 units in total with multiple subunits in each unit. The best part regarding CSIR examination is almost equal weightage is given to all the subunits included in the syllabus.

Since all the units are so vast with details up to depth in each topic it may not be possible for any individual to prepare all the units. So it is always suggested to be thorough in mostly 7-8 units as per the background and interest of the candidate. Strategy for preparation should be made keeping the pattern of the question from each unit from the previous CSIR question papers.

Like the specific regions of the chromosome containing mutational hotspots that are more to mutation unlike the entire chromosome, some topics in each unit are examination prone instead of the entire syllabus content. So while preparing the notes it should be taken into account which concepts to be focused more. Since visualization has more influence on memory than any other mode of learning, mostly it is recommended to put figures and graphs in the notes rather than long descriptive texts. Notes should always be comprehensive with relevant information in tabulated form. Flow charts, bulleted text with precise information should be prepared.

Below we will discuss regarding the notes preparation strategy that should be followed while preparing notes for individual Units keeping the important topics in mind.

Unit 1: Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology

• This is a very important unit from examination point of view. This unit is based on biochemistry. So here mostly amino acids and their properties should be prepared.
• Charge, nature, Pka value, etc information about amino acids can be prepared in a tabular form and should be memorized.
• Similarly, the biochemical pathways can be remembered mostly in the form of flow charts giving more importance to enzymes.
• Information about DNA, proteins, etc should be tabulated. Also, the enzymes involved in protein digestion should be listed out separately.

Unit 2: Cellular Organization

• From this unit mostly topics from membrane transport, operon (lac and tryptophan), transposons should be prepared.
• In lac operon mostly the regulation in merodiploid condition should be condensed into a tabular form to easily memorize.
• Most importantly the proteins and factors involved in the cell cycle regulation should be noted from the text and designed in a graphical way.
• Interesting acronyms can also be created for easily correlating the terms with a particular step.

Unit 3: Fundamental Processes

• This unit of CSIR NET exam includes molecular biology mainly dealing with DNA replication, DNA repair, transcription, mRNA splicing, translation, etc. So while preparing notes for this unit – enzymes associated with DNA replication (for prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes) and factors associated with transcription should be listed in a tabular form along with their respective roles.
• Transcription factors and steps involved in transcription and translation can be summarized in flow chart form.
• Make flow charts on regulation steps and make a table of content showing inhibitors of important enzymes along with their mechanisms.

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Signaling

• This unit involves a lot of memorization.
• List out the signaling pathways and draw flowcharts to remember the sequence of their action.
• For immunology make a comparison table for B and T cell.
• List out pathogens and diseases caused by them in a table.
• Also, make a table with information about cell adhesion molecules.
• Also, list the important oncogenes and tumor suppressor gene having significant roles in cancer genetics.

Unit 5: Developmental Biology

• In animal, developmental biology list out the terms and clearly mention their meanings in your own word. Say epiboly, delamination, etc.
• In detail write down the Wnt, Hedgehog signaling, etc.
• For plant make diagrammatic notes for ABC model to memorize easily.

Unit 6: System Physiology – Plant

• Note down all the pathways light reaction, Dark reaction, CAM, C2 cycle, etc – in a sequential step by step or flow chart form.
• Make flow chart based notes for hormone signaling, synthesis of hormones and metabolites, etc.
• Make comprehensive notes for different stress response mechanisms.

Unit 7: System Physiology – Animals.

• Note down the structural details of organs systems. Give more importance to the graph based concepts and make notes on it, as it’s very commonly asked in CSIR Exam.
• The major focus should be on absorption, respiration, heart regulation, excretion, neural conduction, and hormones.
• List out the important hormones and their sources of secretion including their significant roles

Unit 8: Inheritance Biology

• In this unit, the first thing to do is understanding the terminologies. Gene, allele, homo and heterozygous, etc. So start your note by listing down these terms.
• Then concepts like complementation, recombination, etc should be noted down.
• For gene-mapping write down step by step, methods by taking an example and while solving other problems you can take reference from that.
• For pedigree analysis note down the important symbols and rules for each type of inheritance pattern.
• Make a figure based note for chromosomal alterations.
• Make a tabular note for memorizing the mutagens and nature of mutation induced by them.

Unit 9: Diversity of Life Forms

• First of all, make a comparative note on different types of classification systems as per CSIR NET Exam syllabus.
• Make diagrammatic notes for correlating plant and animal groups.
• Separate the important plants and animals (Insects orders) and write down distinctive characteristic features.

Unit 10: Ecological principles

• Make figure based notes for the concept of niche.
• List out the important formulas like growth curve etc.
• Make diagrammes to easily memorize patterns of dispersion.
• Make graphs to remember the prey-predator relationship.
• Make a table to note down the species interaction.
• Separately write down the formulas for diversity index and correlate it with problems to understand the concept more efficiently.
• In succession draw pictures to remember models of succession.
• Make suitable equations and pathways to remember productivity.
• Also, make a table of comparative information regarding different ecosystems.
• In graphical form remember pieces of information about biomes.
• Construct and memorize the graph for island biogeography.
• For conservation-biology part collect the list of threatened plant and animal species.
• Also collect the protected areas biosphere reserve, national parks and the key flora and fauna there. Make a list of ecogeographic rules.

Unit 11: Evolution and Behavior

• This unit is very crucial. In CSIR Exam Questions with Combination of concepts and numerical are asked from this Unit hence make the notes accordingly.
• Mostly try to collect the unique evolutionary terms.
• Elaborate their meanings in your own language. For Eg- Autapomorphy – a unique derived character in any taxon.
• Make clear simple notes regarding the construction of the phylogenetic tree.
• Clearly make a replica of geological time scale.
• List out all the important formulas related to HW Law, formulas associated with a change in gene frequencies due to evolutionary processes.
• Also track down important points associated with the evolution of behavior, sexual selection, kin selection theory, instinct, learning, etc.

Unit 12: Applied Biology

• This unit mostly focuses on experimental and technical concepts. Thoroughly prepare notes on the function of Vir genes and mostly focus on Agrobacterium infection in plants.
• Prepare notes on ELISA, RIA (with application examples). Different terms associated with tissue culture note down.
• A detailed note regarding the development, screening, and application of transgenic plants should be prepared.
• Different techniques such as marker-assisted selection principles and applications based on recent research papers collect and summarize.
• Terms related to bioremediation as well as examples note down.

Unit 13: Methods in Biology

• This is the most important and useful unit of the entire CSIR NET exam syllabus. A lot of applicable techniques are included in this unit.
• While making notes Thoroughly lay out the protocols of DNA, RNA protein extraction. Try to include the significance of chemicals used.
• Summarize Chromatography, electrophoresis principle and applications.
• Make a clear note regarding chi-square hypothesis. RFLP, Blotting techniques are mostly asked in the form of analytical questions.
• From the past question paper find out relevant questions and site as an example of the application of the techniques in your own words.
• Separately make notes on principles and biological applications of microscopes such as Fluorescence, AFM, SEM, TEM, etc.
• Electrophysical methods such as EEG, ECG, etc – prepare notes on them mostly from examination point of view such as interpretation from the graph.
• CMR method, transect line method of population density measurement formulas should be listed.

Notes should always be prepared in one’s own words for easy understanding of the concepts. Make the note comprehensive and not too much extensive mentioning only the most relevant segments from the examination point of view.

While revision the most important details from the note should help you boost your confidence. Since in CSIR there is a specific pattern of questions asked, so your note details should basically be from the topics mostly as per the past trend of questions.

While preparing for CSIR along with good reference books, a lot of updated information from the recent research papers should be included. In techniques preferably unit 13 rather than principle more application in the biological field should be included.

A blending of the relevant information from the reference source and your own logical thought can make the best preparatory note for CSIR NET Exam.

Biotecnika offers a vast array of products which CSIR NET aspirants can use for their CSIR NET Life Science exam Preparation. It includes – CSIR NET Life Science Unit wise Flow Chart Book – Konceptika, CSIR NET Book with a list of all tough questions that have been asked till date in CSIR NET Exam – ToughNET Question Bank, CSIR NET Memory Flash Cards – best for last minute preparations.

About the Author

Manisha is a dynamic professor at Biotecnika, an avid follower of the latest life science journal and a loving teacher to all our students for her true interest and dedication. This article has been compiled by her to assist students CSIR NET students who face difficulty in preparing for CSIR NET Life Science Exams.

Keywords: CSIR NET Life science Notes, CSIR NET Exam Notes, How to Prepare Notes for CSIR NET Exam, How to Make notes for CSIR NET Exam in Life Science, Notes preparation strategy for CSIR NET Life Science Exam.